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“Dr. Irons died a couple weeks ago,” Sarah said. “And there’s been no school since. We really do need to find someone.”

“Honestly, I thought that old bastard was gonna live forever,” John said, taking a bite of bread. “You know what they say—evil never dies.”

“John,” Sarah scolded, but Kimmy choked on her soup laughing.

“Who’s Dr. Irons?” I asked.

Sarah gave John a reproving look as he opened his mouth to answer, likely predicting that he was about to speak ill of the dead again. For his part, he shrugged at her, completely unrepentant with a mouthful of bread, which made me giggle.

“The teacher I had growing up,” he said to me once he’d swallowed. “He was a university professor in the Old World. He was always offended when anyone didn’t call him doctor , and Danny and I…may have pushed his buttons on that more than once. He must’ve been like eighty by now, right? ”

He glanced at Sarah, who nodded.

“Oh,” I said, pausing. “Is that the one who got so fed up with you that he gave you the strap once?”

John grinned. “Yeah. Granny nearly killed him. Never piss off a tiny Irishwoman, I guess.”

“Yes, well, speaking as your former babysitter,” Sarah said, trying to look severe and failing, “you weren’t always easy to reign in.”

“In my defence, Danny was a horrible influence,” John said, holding up his hands. “He was also a much better liar than me, so I took most of the heat.”

“Didn’t you release frogs in the schoolroom?” I said, eyebrow raised.

John shrugged. “No comment.”

“That means yes,” Kimmy said, elbowing him. “His daughter was always nice. Can’t she take over? She probably has his old notes.”

Sarah shook her head. “She’s already working at the wood mill. Jenna started as his assistant a month ago, but she doesn’t feel ready to take over. So, we’re homeschooling for now.”

I didn’t speak up, even though Asha and I had taught teenagers before and had some student teaching experience with younger kids.

However, considering I didn’t even know if they’d be letting me stay, and if I was in danger here, I wasn’t going to suggest I be allowed access to the Valley’s children.

For all I knew, they’d interpret that as a threat or an insult, coming from an outsider.

Still, I felt a surge of hope and tucked it away to revisit later. I glanced at Asha, but she was focused on her food and didn’t seem interested in the conversation. I wondered what she was thinking, but as usual, her expression was unreadable.

Just then, the front door opened, and a moment later, a tall, lanky man with brown hair appeared in the kitchen doorway, rosy-cheeked from the cold.

He was followed by what I could only assume were the other Armstrong children: a young man who looked just like his father; a teenage girl with brown hair and brown eyes; and a younger, preteen girl that was Sarah’s spitting image, with blonde hair and grey eyes.

“We have company,” Sarah said, a twinkle in her eye.

“John!” the younger girl screeched, and a second later, he grunted at the force of her small body colliding with his .

“Hey,” he managed to get out. “Allie, I…can’t breathe.”

She released him, grinning from ear to ear. “You look terrible.”

“Gee, thanks,” John replied with a laugh. “Happy to see you too, kiddo. You promised not to grow too much while I was gone—what happened?”

The next few moments were a happy reunion where Asha and I might as well not have existed. The two older children—Matthew and Maisie—exchanged hugs with both John and Kimmy, while Bruce, their father, looked on with a broad smile.

I might’ve felt left out except that their genuine happiness was infectious, and it warmed my heart to see how much John and Kimmy were loved. They deserved it, even as a hollow pang of loss crept into my chest. I wanted what they had. I wanted to be part of something the way they were.

Of course, the moment quickly passed, and silence fell as eight pairs of eyes were suddenly fixed on me and Asha.

“Who’s that?” Allie said frankly to John, pointing at me.

“Allie,” Sarah scolded. “It’s rude to point.”

“It’s alright,” I said, a little shy. It was unnerving to be singled out this way, but I suspected I’d have to get used to it. Besides, I was probably the first new person that this young girl had seen in a long, long time.

John and Kimmy launched into introductions again, and though the other Armstrongs greeted us politely, the air was thick with tension. Sarah and Bruce exchanged worried looks, and the older children looked to their parents for cues on how to react to the news.

“This is…a lot to take in,” Bruce said. “We need to rally support now. I’m going to notify Abby so she can call a council meeting. Matt, can you round up the Hardings? Maisie, you should go to the McNeils.”

Both of the older children nodded, and all three departed.

“What’s going to happen now?” I asked John in a hushed voice.

He stroked the back of my hand. “One of the chairpersons has to call the meeting. Abby’s the chairwoman, and a damn sight more pleasant than Jameson, so Bruce will go to her. She was a friend of Granny’s.”

“It’ll likely go to a vote,” Sarah said. “That’s why we need to rally support.”

“A vote on if we can stay?” I asked. “Just like that?”

Asha blew out a disapproving breath. Sarah looked uneasy and told Allie to leave the room. Allie huffed but obeyed.

“It’ll be okay,” John soothed once Allie was out of earshot, giving my hand a squeeze. “I promise.”

“How can you know?” I replied, panic creeping into my voice. “What if they hurt us? Or decide to kill us? We know the secret now, so even if we leave, they’ll think—”

“We won’t let that happen,” Kimmy cut in. “People will be wary, but most of them will listen to reason. And anyway, they’d have to go through us first.”

I took a deep breath to steady myself. John kissed my cheek, then stood.

“I have something to take care of before everyone gets here,” he said to Sarah. “Keep an eye on these three while I’m gone.”

Sarah raised an eyebrow but nodded. I followed John to the foyer.

“Where are you going?” I whispered urgently. “Don’t leave me here.”

He took my face in his hands and kissed me, slow and gentle. His touch calmed me, but that made me want him to stay even more. He was my anchor in this strange new place.

“I’ll be back soon,” he replied, tucking my hair behind my ear. “I just have to go to Summerhurst to check on things. You’re safe with the Armstrongs; I wouldn’t leave otherwise.”

I sighed. “Alright. Just be careful…and please hurry back.”

“I will.”